Dodge once predicted the future in a way no one could’ve expected.
At the 1997 SEMA Show, Dodge unveiled the Ram T-Rex 6×6 concept.
The six-wheel monster truck was more of a showcase than a serious production candidate, but maybe it should’ve made it to showrooms.
The Ram 3500 HD-based truck featured a stretched bed and two rear axles connected by a transfer case between them.
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The off-road focused truck was powered by an 8.0-liter V10 rated at 497 horsepower and 593 lb-ft, making it even more powerful than the Dodge Viper’s version of the engine.
“We think T-Rex can outrun, out-tow, outmaneuver, outhaul and out-off-road anything in its class, and do it with a lot more driver comfort,” Chrysler executive Bob Lutz said at the time, according to Autoevolution.
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Dodge put the idea on the shelf because it didn’t think it would sell, but perhaps the now-independent Ram might want to think about dusting it off.
In the years since, a growing number of aftermarket companies have introduced 6×6 customs that sell for amounts as large as the trucks are.
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The Hennessey Performance Mammoth 6×6 is foremost among them. The Texas-built truck has a 1,000 hp supercharged V8 and is sold at a starting price of $449,950. Not a bad markup for a pickup.
It is, of course, based on the 702 hp Ram 1500 TRX, which has a name inspired by the T-Rex and even an image of a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a (Ford) Raptor in its mouth under the hood.
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The TRX is going extinct this year as Ram discontinues all of its V8 engines in favor of turbocharged straight-six-cylinder motors.
Could there be a straight-six 6×6 in the future? We’ll be keeping an eye on SEMA next year.
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